Weekly Update: Quakes prepare for Timbers

The San Jose Earthquakes host the Portland Timbers on Saturday, July 27 at Buck Shaw Stadium, presented by XFINITY. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. PT on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, 1590 KLIV and 1370 KZSF. The club will also host its Second Annual Wine & Dine with the Earthquakes at Guglielmo Winery on Sunday, July 28 from 4-7 p.m. PT. Tickets for that event are available at www.sjearthquakes.com/wine.

Honduran winger Walter Martinez scored his first career MLS goal to lead the San Jose Earthquakes to a 1-0 win against Western Conference rival Seattle Sounders FC in front of a sold-out crowd. The Earthquakes received a stellar effort from their defensive unit, limiting Sounders FC to six total shots and just one on goal. The clean sheet was San Jose’s second of the season, the last coming in a 1-0 win against Seattle on March 23 at Buck Shaw Stadium. After a scoreless first half, Martinez tallied the game’s lone goal three minutes into the final stanza. Steven Lenhart misfired from the top of the box, but Martinez found the ball, cut back and curled a close-range shot into the upper corner for his first goal since signing with San Jose on March 15, 2013. One minute later, Alan Gordon nearly doubled the Earthquakes’ lead after a long throw-in from Dan Gargan and a flicked header from Lenhart found the target man open in front of the goal. Gordon took a volleyed shot, but it went high of the target. Lenhart also had a golden opportunity to put San Jose in front by two, but his one-on-one with Sounders FC goalkeeper Andrew Weber was blocked. AT&T MLS All-Star nominees Victor Bernardez and Justin Morrow anchored the back line along with Steven Beitashour, Jason Hernandez and Dan Gargan, who replaced Hernandez in the 45th minute. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Jon Busch earned his second shutout of the season and 22nd of his four-year career in San Jose. The match was interim head coach Mark Watson’s first at Buck Shaw Stadium. His home debut was a thrilling 3-2 comeback win against the LA Galaxy at Stanford Stadium on June 29.

Rookie forward Adam Jahn scored in the 92nd minute to rally the Earthquakes to a 1-1 draw against the Timbers. Jahn began the scoring sequence, flicking a header into the mix with San Jose trailing 1-0. Nana Attakora got his foot to the ball and centered a pass to Chris Wondolowski. The reigning Volkswagen MLS Most Valuable Player laid the ball off for Jahn who blasted his shot past Portland goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts to earn the Earthquakes a home point. The goal was Jahn’s second of his career. The former Stanford target man scored his first in dramatic fashion as well, equalizing against the New York Red Bulls on March 10 at Buck Shaw Stadium; he also earned the penalty that won San Jose the match, 2-1. The Earthquakes out-shot their guests 12-7 on the night and were knocking on the door for much of the evening. Wondolowski had a one-on-one opportunity denied by Ricketts in the first half while Sam Garza was turned away in similar fashion in the second half. Steven Lenhart also saw his 72nd-minute header float inches wide of the far post. Despite the number of chances generated, it was Portland who tallied first. Steven Beitashour cleanly tackled the ball away from Ryan Johnson in the area, but the ball glanced off the attacker and to the feet of Diego Valeri. The Argentine Designated Player volleyed with Earthquakes goalkeeper Jon Busch off his line and found the net for a 1-0 lead in the 58th minute.

Portland Timbers Scouting Report

Portland (8-2-10, 34 pts.) enter this weekend’s match second in the Western Conference and third in the Supporters’ Shield race. Under the guidance of first-year head coach Caleb Porter, the Timbers have become the most difficult team in MLS to beat with a league-low two losses in 2013. The Johnsons – forward Ryan and midfielder Will, no relation – lead the way in scoring with six goals apiece. Playmaker Diego Valeri paces Portland with six assists. The Timbers will have all of their CONCACAF Gold Cup participants in camp ahead of this weekend’s match, including Will Johnson (Canada), Frederic Piquionne (Martinique) and Anthony Wallace (Costa Rica) after their squads were eliminated from the tournament.

History of the Quakes – Portland Timbers Rivalry

The Earthquakes and Timbers rivalry dates back to when the teams played in the North American Soccer League … The squads faced off for the first time as members of the NASL in 1975 in San Jose and the Earthquakes were victorious 2-1 with Ilija Mitic scoring both goals for the Quakes … The Timbers evened the series with a 2-1 home victory towards the end of the ’75 season … In 1976 the teams only met once and Portland got the better of the Earthquakes in a 1-0 victory in San Jose … The Earthquakes swept the 1977 season series with a 3-2 victory at home and 2-1 win in Portland … The Timbers came back in 1978 and outscored the Earthquakes 8-2 in two wins on their way to the NASL National Conference Final, where they lost to the New York Cosmos … The teams split the 1979 series with Portland winning 4-3 in San Jose and the Earthquakes winning 2-1 in Portland …In 1980 the Earthquakes dropped both games to the Timbers, losing each match by just one goal … The Timbers got the best of the Earthquakes in 1981 as well, sweeping the season series by finals of 3-0 and 2-1 … 1982 was the last NASL series between the two teams … The Earthquakes won the first game 1-0 in Portland and the Timbers were victorious 1-0 when they traveled to San Jose … The two sides played again in a 2001 exhibition in Portland and the Timbers were victorious 2-1 … The next meeting came in 2004 during the U.S. Open Cup and the Earthquakes won 3-0 … In 2005 the sides met again in the U.S. Open Cup and the Earthquakes were victorious 2-0 … The Earthquakes topped Portland in U.S. Open Cup Qualifying 1-0 on May 3, 2011 with Ike Opara scoring the game winner in the 120th minute … The Earthquakes and Timbers battled to a pair of 1-1 draws in 2011 … Portland got the better of San Jose 2-1 at JELD-WEN Field in the two team’s first meeting of 2012, snapping a three-game winning streak for the Earthquakes … Chris Wondolowski came off the bench to score a pair of second-half goals and rally San Jose from a two-goal deficit in a 2-2 draw at Buck Shaw Stadium on Sept. 19 … The Earthquakes and Timbers closed out the 2012 regular season with a 1-1 draw on Oct. 27. Chris Wondolowski tied Roy Lassiter’s single-season mark of 27 goals with a penalty kick in the 24th minute … Portland won the clubs’ first of three meetings in 2013 1-0 at JELD-WEN Field with Will Johnson curling home a free kick in the 78th minute … San Jose rallied at Buck Shaw Stadium to draw even with Portland 1-1 thanks to a 92nd-minute goal from Adam Jahn on April 21, 2013.

Earthquakes – Portland Timbers Connections

San Jose forward Mike Fucito played for the Timbers in 2012 … San Jose defender Justin Morrow attended Notre Dame with Portland forward Bright Dike from 2007-09 ... Timbers goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts played with Quakes forward Alan Gordon for the LA Galaxy in 2009 and 2010 … Timbers forward Ryan Johnson played with the Earthquakes from 2008-11 … Johnson played with Earthquakes midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy for Real Salt Lake in 2006 when both were rookies … Earthquakes defenders Nana Attakora (2010-11), Dan Gargan (2010-11), Ty Harden (2010-12) and forward Alan Gordon (2011) played with Timbers goalkeeper Milos Kovic (2010-12) for Toronto FC … Attakora and Timbers midfielder Will Johnson have both played for the Canadian national team … Earthquakes midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy played with Timbers forward Ryan Johnson for Real Salt Lake in 2006 … Earthquakes forward Steven Lenhart and Timbers defender Ryan Miller both suited up for Columbus in 2008 … Earthquakes midfielder Shea Salinas played with Timbers midfielder Michael Nanchoff for Vancouver Whitecaps FC in 2011 … Earthquakes forward Alan Gordon and Portland midfielder Ben Zemanski played together at Chivas USA in 2010 … Portland head coach Caleb Porter was originally drafted by San Jose in the third round (No. 27 overall) of the 1998 MLS SuperDraft … Porter appeared in four matches with the Clash in 1999, his only season with the club.

Earthquakes All-Time Leaders vs. Portland Timbers

Forward Chris Wondolowski has three goals in seven appearances … Forward Alan Gordon has two goals and one assist in five appearances … Goalkeeper Jon Busch is 0-1-5 in his six games vs. Portland.

Portland Timbers All-Time Leaders vs. Earthquakes

Midfielder Jack Jewsbury has two goals and one assist in 16 appearances … Defender Michael Harrington has two assists in seven appearances … Goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts is 2-2-4 with two shutouts and 29 saves in nine appearances.

The Earthquakes rescheduled their home match against Chivas USA at Buck Shaw Stadium for Saturday, Aug. 3 at 7 p.m. PT, presented by Alaska Airlines. The game will be broadcast live on Comcast SportsNet California and Univision Deportes Network. Tickets for the match are on sale at www.sjearthquakes.com or by calling 1-800-225-2277. Groups of 10 or more should call the club’s front office at 408-556-7700 to inquire about group rates. Tickets already printed and distributed for the match will still be valid, but holders should note the time and date change. The match was previously scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 4 at 8 p.m. PT and was changed to accommodate San Jose’s participation in CONCACAF Champions League.

Former defender Momcilo “Gabbo” Gavric and former president Peter Bridgwater have been voted into the Earthquakes Hall of Fame. The pair of soccer legends will be inducted in a ceremony during halftime of San Jose’s match on July 27 against the Portland Timbers. For more information about the duo, click here.

Goodson Scores in United States Rout of El Salvador

Earthquakes defender Clarence Goodson helped the United States advance to the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals with a goal in a 5-1 rout of El Salvador on Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md. Goodson opened the scoring in the 21st minute, volleying home a cross from Landon Donovan to give the Americans a 1-0 lead. The United States returns to action on Wednesday, July 24 against Honduras at Cowboys Stadium (4 p.m. PT / FOX Soccer, Univision).

Chavez, Honduras Advance to CONCACAF Gold Cup Semifinals

Earthquakes midfielder Marvin Chavez started and played 71 minutes for Honduras in a 1-0 win against Costa Rica to send Los Catrachos through to the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals. Awaiting them will be the United States on Wednesday, July 24 at Cowboy Stadium (4 p.m. PT / FOX Soccer, Univision). Chavez has appeared in three of Honduras’ four Gold Cup games; he scored in their 2-0 win against Haiti on July 8.

Gordon Joins United States CONCACAF Gold Cup Roster

Earthquakes forward Alan Gordon was added to the United States’ CONCACAF Gold Cup roster for their quarterfinal match against El Salvador, a game the U.S. won 5-1. Gordon replaced Club Tijuana striker Herculez Gomez, joining Earthquakes teammates Chris Wondolowski and Clarence Goodson. A 10-year MLS veteran, Gordon made his United States debut on Oct. 12, 2012 in a CONCACAF World Cup Qualifier against Antigua and Barbuda. Gordon came off the bench and picked up a game-winning assist on Eddie Johnson’s 90th-minute goal. That appearance is his only cap with the national team. Gordon is the third-leading scorer for San Jose in 2013 with three goals and two assists. He broke through in 2012 with a career-high 13 goals and seven assists, helping the Earthquakes to the club’s third Supporters’ Shield trophy. In addition to Gordon, three others were added to the United States’ roster. That list includes: Eddie Johnson, Omar Gonzalez and Matt Besler. Departing camp along with Gomez are: Corey Ashe, Jack McInerney, and Oguchi Onyewu.

Earthquakes Top EPL’s Norwich City 1-0

The Earthquakes knocked off Norwich City FC of the English Premier League 1-0 in an international friendly at Buck Shaw Stadium on Saturday. Trinidadian winger Cordell Cato scored the game’s only goal in the seventh minute, stealing a Norwich City FC pass intended for goalkeeper Mark Bunn before slotting a shot past the charging net minder. Meanwhile, on the defensive side of the field, San Jose rose to the occasion by limiting the Canaries to four shots and only two on goal. The win improved San Jose to 2-0-3 all-time in international friendlies against teams from the Premiership. The Earthquakes are also unbeaten at Buck Shaw Stadium in exhibitions with a 4-0-3 mark since moving into the facility in 2008.

Alas Joins Earthquakes on Loan

The Earthquakes acquired Salvadoran national team midfielder Jaime Alas on loan from Rosenborg BK pending receipt of his ITC and P-1 visa. Per league and team policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed. Alas, 23, appeared in three Tippeligaen games for Rosenborg BK in 2012 and also came off the bench in two Europa League matches, including a 1-0 loss against German power Bayer Leverkusen. He joined the Norwegian side on Aug. 1, 2012 on a transfer from Salvadoran side CD Luis Angel Firpo. Alas began his professional career with CD Firpo where he parlayed his success to a Salvadoran national team call-up in 2010 at the age of 21. Alas has been a mainstay on the Salvadoran national team. He has 33 caps and six goals since debuting with La Selecta in 2010. He scored his first goal with the national squad in a 2-0 win against Nicaragua in the 2011 Copa Centroamericana. Alas was also a key piece of La Selecta’s 2012 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying squad; he started in each of his country’s four games in the tournament and scored a 94th-minute goal in a 3-3 draw against the United States to knock the Americans out of contention while advancing El Salvador to the semifinals.

The Earthquakes have one player that has played every minute of all 21 matches this season, Jon Busch. He has played 1,890 minutes. Sam Cronin is the only other player on the squad to start all 21 matches; he has logged 1,801 minutes in the process.

Earthquakes Raise $2,500 for You Can Play Project

The Earthquakes raised $2,500 for the You Can Play Project thanks to the club’s fundraiser last week. San Jose donated the proceeds raised from ticket sales at its Reserve League match against Antigua Barracuda FC at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco on July 15 to the You Can Play Project. The Earthquakes won the match 6-0, improving to 3-3-0 in Reserve League play.

CONCACAF Gold Cup Update

The Earthquakes have four representatives in the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup: Chris Wondolowski (USA), Clarence Goodson (USA), Alan Gordon (USA) and Marvin Chavez (HON). See below for a schedule for the Americans and Hondurans:

San Jose Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski was among 20 players named to the AT&T MLS All-Star gameday roster on Monday. The All-Stars will face AS Roma in the 2013 AT&T MLS All-Star Game on Wednesday, July 31 at Sporting Park (6 p.m. PT / ESPN2, UniMas). Wondolowski, 30, leads the Earthquakes with five goals and is second on the club with three assists. Three of his goals were game winners. He is currently in camp with the U.S. Men’s National Team for the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Wondolowski has scored five goals in two Gold Cup games so far, becoming the first U.S. Men’s National Team player to score five in the tournament.

CONCACAF Champions League Schedule Unveiled

The Earthquakes will play four CONCACAF Champions League matches in group play after qualifying for the tournament by virtue of their Supporters’ Shield win in 2012. The schedule is as follows:
Wednesday, Aug. 7 – 5 p.m. PT – San Jose Earthquakes at Montreal Impact
Wednesday, Aug. 28 – 7 p.m. PT – San Jose Earthquakes at CD Heredia (Guatemala)
Tuesday, Sept. 17 – 7 p.m. PT – Montreal Impact at San Jose Earthquakes
Wednesday, Oct. 23 – 7 p.m. PT – CD Heredia at San Jose EarthquakesNOTE: The Earthquakes’ match against Montreal on Tuesday, Sept. 17 will be Bonus Game B for the club’s season ticket holders. Season ticket holders will also have the opportunity to purchase additional tickets for that match during an exclusive window starting on Monday, July 8 at 10 a.m. PT. The public on-sale date is Friday, July 12 at 10 a.m. PT. Ticket details for the club’s second CONCACAF Champions League home game will be announced at a later date.

Earthquakes New Stadium Update

The Earthquakes unveiled a number of new features for the club’s stadium that is under construction at Coleman Ave. in San Jose. The team has added Game Day Clubs and has revealed that the seats in the new stadium will be blue. Additionally, the south end of the stadium will spell out ‘Quakes’ in the seats. All of the new features can be viewed in the newly launched interactive 3D seat map at www.sjearthquakes.com. The Earthquakes also announced the arrival of a new stadium mobile viewing center that allows fans to experience the club’s new venue in person. Appointments are available to drop by the mobile viewing center on game days or regular weekday business hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT by calling club headquarters at 408-556-7700. Additionally, the Earthquakes gave fans a way to keep tabs on the construction process through a live webcam stationed at the construction site. The StreamCam HD will provide live and archived footage to fans at www.sjearthquakes.com and will collect images for a timelapse video of the completed project when the stadium opens, courtesy of EarthCam.

The club will host its second annual Earthquakes 5K/10K Challenge, presented by Stanford Hospital & Clinics, benefiting The Health Trust of Silicon Valley and the San Jose Earthquakes Community Fund, on Sunday, Aug. 18. More information and a registration link are available at www.quakeschallenge.com. The 5K/10K Challenge begins at 8 a.m. with three options for runners of all ages. All participants receive a race t-shirt and access to a post-race celebration. The event is co-produced by Threshold Racing and Firstwave Events, the same companies that organize the San Jose Turkey Trot, Santa Cruz Half Marathon, and the San Jose Metro Triathlon.

T-Mobile 4G Power Zone Back for 2013

The Earthquakes have teamed with T-Mobile for the second year in a row to create the “T-Mobile 4G Power Zone” at all home games for the 2013 season. The promotion will give fans the opportunity to purchase great seats for only $17 – a discount of $10 off the day-of-game price, the most affordable Earthquakes tickets available to the public. Through the agreement, T-Mobile has rebranded the Corner Flag Section 107 at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara as the “T-Mobile 4G Power Zone.” For more information, visit www.sjearthquakes.com/tickets.

Quakes President Dave Kaval’s Office Hours

Earthquakes President Dave Kaval’s office hours will continue in 2013. Fans can drop by his office at 451 El Camino Real, Suite 201 in Santa Clara, Calif., on Tuesdays between 3 and 5 p.m. PT. Participants will be seen on a first come, first served basis. Be sure to read his blog, Kaval’s Kickoff, exclusively at www.sjearthquakes.com, and follow him on Twitter at @QuakesPrez.

Season Tickets on Sale/Priority for New Stadium

Season tickets for the 2013 season at Buck Shaw Stadium are still available. By purchasing season tickets for the final season at Buck Shaw Stadium, fans can enter the queue for priority seating for the Earthquakes New Stadium. Season ticket holders are currently selecting their seats for the New Stadium. To purchase season tickets or for more information, please contact the Earthquakes headquarters at 408-556-7700.

Wells Fargo Goals for Education

Wells Fargo has again pledged to donate $250 for each goal the Earthquakes score in 2013 through the Goals for Education program. The club has raised $5,250 so far this season thanks to 21 goals. The Earthquakes raised $18,000 in 2012 after scoring a club record 72 goals.